Hershey Kisses
by Heather68
Summary: One-shot There was a note written in untidy scrawl on the bottom of the box. She brought the box up to eye level. It read ‘Your kiss is the sweetest sin.’ ‘Love your very own mystery man’


Summary: ~ One-shot ~ There was a note written in untidy scrawl on the bottom of the box. She brought the box up to eye level. It read 'Your kiss is the sweetest sin.' 'Love your very own mystery man'  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the character's or places mentioned in this story.  
  
A/N: Woot! Valentine's Day probably the most pointless holiday in the world but the most fun one to write story's about.  
  
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Seventeen year old, Hermione Granger hated Valentine's day. There was no reason for her hatred of this particular holiday yet she hated it anyway. It could be the vulgar displays of affection in the hallways or it could be the lurid pink decorations that seemed to be invading the school at this time of the year. Whatever the reason, she despised it. This year wasn't turning out any better. If anything she was more depressed then ever before.  
  
Her friends had tried to get her into the spirit. She had to admire their determination though. They had tried every possible thing they could think of to get her to at least smile, but their efforts were in vain and by the end of breakfast they had admitted their defeat. They gave her their brightest smiles and left her in the great hall alone. Of all the things they could have done that hurt the most.  
  
She slowly pulled herself together and left for the library. Walking, down the halls she heard some of the younger children in the first and second year whispering as she approached. Once close enough she distinctly heard them sniggering and coughing 'ice queen' under their breath. Hermione picked up speed. Rounding the corner, she tripped over her own feet and slid into a wall. 'Bloody hell, this day is going to be just wonderful.' She sat up and leaned against the wall. She wouldn't move for anyone or anything not even when Peeves came floating by and started to make fun of her taunting her with her new name that the younger student population had all seemingly to picked up.  
  
Once Peeves finally realized he wouldn't be getting a rise out of her he left and went on to torment a couple of 7th years he had spotted kissing behind a statue. Hermione watched him go with uninterest. She closed her eyes bringing her knees up to her chest trying hard to ignore the worried stares she was receiving as people passed her spot.  
  
After a time she felt something being placed in her lap, quickly she snapped open her eyes and looked around for the offending person. Finding no one, she picked the offending white box, taking one more quick look around to confirm that in fact no one was there, she took the lid off the box reveling 1 Hershey's Kiss. Her mouth formed a slight 'o' of surprise as she lifted the kiss out of the box. There was a note written in untidy scrawl on the bottom of the box. She brought the box up to eye level. It read 'Your kiss is the sweetest sin.' Puzzled, she looked around expecting someone to jump out of the shadows yelling 'gotcha' but when that didn't happen she returned her attention back on the box there was a little message left. 'Love your very own mystery man, p.s. follow the trail of kisses, there's a surprise at the end.'  
  
Hermione stood up speechless and headed towards the library where she had wanted to go in the first place. She entered the library and felt very relaxed. She looked through the shelves for a book for her transfiguration paper. She found one and went to her table. Sitting down, she quickly scanned the table of contents, her finger moved methodically down the list, for the chapter on animal transfiguration. Her finger paused next to a likely looking chapter, she quickly flipped through the book till she found the page and began reading. She settled into a calm for the first time that day. But that feeling barely lasted for a half hour. Being completely absorbed into the reading, she didn't notice that Justin Finch-Fletchy was standing right behind her. Justin tapped his foot impatiently behind her, then bent over and kissed her on the cheek. Hermione broke out of the self induced trance and looked up into the smiling face of Justin.  
  
"Justin, what?" Hermione asked in confusion. She wasn't even sure if he really had just kissed her.  
  
"Happy Valentine's Day." He said handing her a silver wrapped Hershey's kiss and left the library. Hermione remained frozen in place for a few minutes. Once she regained control of her limbs, she quickly pocketed the kiss, slammed the book shut, and raced out of the library, earning a disapproving glare from Madame Pince.  
  
As soon as Hermione got out of the library she realized she had no idea which way to go. Hearing the rustling of a cloak to her right she headed off at a brisk pace in that direction. A hand shot out from a closet and brought her to a grinding halt. She turned to face her assailant and was only slightly surprised to see Draco Malfoy step out of it.  
  
"Hermione." He said jovially. She gave him a slight smile.  
  
"Good morning, Draco." She said returning the greeting. "Is grabbing innocent girls in the hallway a new past time?"  
  
Draco gave her a cheeky grin, placing a red foiled Hershey's kiss in her hand and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. She stared down at the single piece of candy and back up at him.  
  
"Happy Valentine's day." He said then walked off towards the Slytherin common room.  
  
The sour mood she had been in all morning was disappearing to be replaced by the sense of mystery that had been surrounding her since she first opened the white box. 'Follow the trail of kisses' it had said and that was exactly what she intended on doing. Once again the sound of footsteps and a rustling cloak nearby drew her out of her mental reverie. She listened intently. They were coming from the stairs. She rushed over to them and looked up them, but didn't see anyone. Slightly disappointed, she started to ascend the stairs. At the first landing she tripped again, but instead of hitting the cold flagstone she fell against something softer. Looking up she saw Ron chuckling at her. She hit him playfully on the arm and blushed.  
  
Seeing Hermione's face, Ron burst out laughing.  
  
"It's not funny, Ron." She snapped, desperately trying to regain composure. "It's not my fault that I tripped."  
  
"Of course not, Mione." He said lightly. "The stairs just don't like you climbing them and felt like retaliating."  
  
"Ron," she groaned in frustration. He shrugged, leaning over kissing her softly on the cheek, and slipping another Hershey kiss into her clenched fist.  
  
"Happy Valentine's Day." He breezed past her down the steps and out of her sight. She stared after him in bewilderment. The day was getting weirder and weirder as it progressed.  
  
She started forming a mental list of possible candidates when she heard those darn footsteps echoing up the hall. She frantically turned her head in all direction hoping to catch sight of someone rounding a corner. But, to her dismay, she was the only person in that hall. She strained to hear where the footsteps were coming from and realized they were coming from the stairs above her. She shoved the newest kiss into her pocket and ran to the stairs and looked up them. Yet again there was no one up these either. Getting deeply frustrated, she stomped up the stairs and made it to the top completely unscathed.  
  
Hermione scanned the corridor for a sign of the mysterious person. 'Who could possibly go through this much trouble for me?' She walked silently down the hall and stopped in front of a portrait of fruit that concealed the kitchen. Reaching out she tickled the pear and it giggled and admitted her into the kitchen, looking around she saw Neville sitting at a table In the corner playing with something in his hand. He looked up. Seeing Hermione, he scooted over to allow her to sit next to him.  
  
"Good Morning, Neville. How are you?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Oh, I'm doing fine. How are you?"  
  
"I'm a bit frustrated, to be perfectly honest." She admitted. "This mysterious person has been dragging me all over the castle today and hasn't once shown him or herself."  
  
Neville smiled and shook his head slightly. "You're a wonderful girl, Hermione." He said after a bit. He kissed her on the cheek and gave her another red wrapped Hershey's kiss and stood up.  
  
"Happy Valentine's Day." He walked out of the kitchen and disappeared. Hermione sat there playing with the kiss for a few seconds before pocketing and standing up.  
  
Dobby had seen Hermione enter and sit next to Neville, then watched them talk for a bit. His eyes widened in shock as Neville leaned over and kissed her on the cheek hand her a Hershey kiss then leave.  
  
Hermione had almost reached the exit when Dobby stepped in front of her.  
  
"Hermione Granger I has something for you." He took out a Hershey kiss from inside a pocket and handed it to her and a note. Hermione looked at the impish creature with disbelief.  
  
"Thank you, Dobby." She said then left the kitchen. She headed up the stairs to the common room, once safely inside she sat by the fire and opened the note. She smirked at the sarcastic tone of the note. 'What? Giving up so soon. I thought I knew you better then that.' 'Of course I'm not giving up' she thought.  
  
Hermione was about to go ask one of the other girls sitting in the common room if they knew anything about who had sent the note when she heard the footsteps crossing the common room. She looked around wildly and still saw no one. She looked towards the stairs to see if that was the direction they were heading when she heard the portrait creek open then shut. She stood up abruptly and followed the sound of the feet all the way to the entrance hall and stopped.  
  
Leaning against the wall was Seamus. He gave her a cocky smile and pushed himself off the wall and sidled up next to her.  
  
"Mornin." He said in greeting.  
  
"Good Morning, Seamus." She replied. "You haven't seen anything suspicious recently have you?"  
  
"Nope not a thing." He answered innocently.  
  
"I don't believe that."  
  
"That's fine by me," he said kissing her on the cheek.  
  
"Seamus, what's going on?"  
  
"I'm not at liberty to tell you," he said then handed her another Hershey kiss. "But, you must be something special for him to go to all this trouble."  
  
Hermione quirked an eyebrow. At least she knew that the mysterious person was indeed a man. He shrugged his shoulders and pointed out the door. She took his hint then walked out into the frigid wind. She shielded her eyes from the swirling snow particles and looked around. It had snowed the day before and there were only two sets of footprints in the snow. She rubbed her arms to keep warm and set off following the footprints. Keeping her head down so she could see she followed them all the way around to the side of Hagrid's hut, but she knew that they weren't Hagrid's footprints they were too small. Finally raising her head she was slightly taken aback when she saw Dean not even one foot in front of her.  
  
"Oh sorry, Dean" she said, blushing lightly.  
  
"It's ok. No harm no foul."  
  
"I'm just...." She trailed off blushing if possible even harder.  
  
"Not paying attention." He finished for her. "Yea, I can tell."  
  
"Oh shut up." She said smiling and tucked a lose piece of hair that had been blown out of place from the wind behind her ear.  
  
"Dean, tell me what's going on. Please" She begged. Dean shook his head and grinned.  
  
"I'm a man of my word Hermione. I promised him I wouldn't speak a word."  
  
She growled and stomped a foot. "This is so bloody frustrating."  
  
"Hm, I'm sorry that you feel that way." He said taking her hand and bringing it to his lips for a light kiss and handed her a Hershey Kiss. It had started to snow lightly and it was landing in her eyelashes and hair. She shivered.  
  
He took a step back and smiled at something over her shoulder. She turned around and gasped. There was someone, obviously a male someone, sitting on a broomstick right behind her. The man had the hood of his cloak up and when he turned she couldn't make out any of his face. He reached out a hand. Hermione looked at him for a few seconds before looking back at Dean who was nodding encouragingly. She tentatively took the offered hand and let out a squeak of surprise as he pulled her up onto the broom in front of him. He looped his arm around her waist and held her close and took off with a slight burst of speed. Terrified, she clung on to his shoulders, buried her head into the folds of his cloak and closed her eyes tight. He chuckled softly and slowed down the broom until it completely stopped about 50 feet in the air.  
  
Hermione chanced to open her eyes. The hood of the cloak had flown off her mystery man when they had been moving. She looked up into the emerald green eyes of the young man whose arms she was in and smiled. He gave her waist a slight squeeze.  
  
"Look down," he whispered into her ear. She nodded almost imperceptibly, and slowly turned her head to the side and looked down. Down below her there was the biggest valentine she had ever received. In the snow there were letters that where about five feet long each encircled in a heart with an arrow through it.  
  
'Happy Valentine's Day Hermione ! Love, Harry'  
  
She giggled loudly and looked at Harry. He smiled and handed her another small white box with a red ribbon around it carefully holding the broom steadily with his other hand. She looked at it curiously . He took it from her and carefully took off the ribbon off the box and put her hair up with it. Hermione blushed and opened the box. Seeing what was in it she threw her hands around his neck and hugged him tightly. He laughed and hugged her tightly with one arm.  
  
"Glad you like it," he said in an offhand manner picking the necklace carefully out of the box. She took it out of his hand and put it over her head, fingering the heart shaped pendant. Then he handed her one final Hershey's kiss.  
  
"Like it, Harry? I love it," she answered, "But why?"  
  
"You mean you don't know." He asked trying to sound very offended, but the effect didn't work because he was still smiling. She shook her head in the negative. He rolled his eyes heaven ward. Leaning over he captured her lips in a gentle kiss.  
  
"I love you Hermione Granger." He declared, wrapping her inside his cloak, she snuggled against him and sighed. "Now, let's get in out of the snow."  
  
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A/N: Woo! Look my first holiday oriented story! Yay! It's done. So what did you think? 


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